Method and apparatus for delivering viscous glass



WOV. 18

o. M. TUCKER ET AL 7 METHOD AND'APPARATUS' FOR DELIVERING VISCOUS GLASSOriginal Filed Aug- 12. 191E attoznaq Patented Nov. 18, 1924.

mm) STATES PATENT @FFICE.

OLIVER M. TUCKER AND WILLIAM A. REEVES, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING VISGOUS GLASS.

Original application filed August 12, 1918, Seriall No. 249,421. Dividedand this application filed September23, 1924. Serial No. 739,408.

' and WILLIAM A. Rnnvns, citizens of the United States of America,residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods andApparatns for Delivering Viscous Glass, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to a method and apparatus for delivering viscousglass. It has particular reference to such a spout in connection with aglass furnace, being primarily designed to meet certain requirements inthe production of en bloc charges preformed as to shape and dimensionsand the dropping and settling of such charges right side up in Y themolds where they are to be further treated.

Others have devised spouts which deliver viscous glass from furnace tomold and others have provided means for heating the glass in suchspouts. But, the production of preformed charges and the proper depositthereof calls for certain accuracies that are onl attainable by specialmeasures of contro For instance, glass being delivered through a spoutis very liable to develop strata of different temperatures and, if thiscondition persists in the glass being actually delivered from thedelivery orifice of the spout, the charges will frequently curve,because one side is colder than the other or will be otherwise of unevenconsistency.

Then, the curved charges will not properly settle in their molds whilethe uneven consistency will prevent proper subsequent treatment, as byblowing thin, etcetera. These are merely examples of numerous defectsdue to improper temperature control. We have solved a very bothersomeproblem by first providing a spout which is thoroughly insulated andthen equipping such spout with means whereby the temperature of both thespout interior and the glass can be efiiciently regulated.

Thus, regardless of variations in furnace conditions, we have devisedapparatus making it possible to deliver charges of viscous glass ofchosen quantity, quality and uniformity. In this way, we have taken thehandling of glass one step further away from formerly existinglimitations inherent in the problem of extracting viscous glass Figure 3is a partial section, taken on the line 3 -3 of Figure 1.

The top, bottom, sides and. ends of the spout 1 are thoroughly insulatedas at 4.

We have provided several means, addi-. tional to the insulation, forcontrolling the internal temperature of the spout and the temperature ofthe glass at different points in such spout. In the first place, boththe channel and the hood of the spout are enlarged at their receivingend, as at 5. This facilitates inlet of the glass and the heat currentsfrom the glass furnace. More important, still, the wide channel for theglass results in slow movement of the glass'at this point and it willappear that we utilize this condition for temperature regulation beforethe glass passes into the heavily insulated narrow channel. Thus, before1 the glass reaches the delivery orifice where it has a more rapidmovement,- it has ample time for the heated and chilled strata todifiuse and bring about the delivery of charges of any desired uniformtemperature and consistency. From its wide portion, the spout taperstoward its delivery end where it is provided with a valve-controllingdraft fine 6 lined with refractory and insulating material and leadingout of the top of the spout nose to assist in drawing the heat currentsfrom the furnace through the spout, above and in direct contact with theglass in such spout. Thus the glass passes through the spout with aminimum amount of wall-fr ction and the heat currents are readilycontrolled.

The walls of the spout are provided with a channel which is shown at 7as extending around three sides of the spout adjacent the juncture ofthe spout with the furnace and which may be fed with a heating orcooling 1%) and the heating or cooling fluid, prefera 1 y a gas may beso delivered as to commingle with the heat currents from the furnace soas to directly modify the-effect of such currents upon the glass andwall surfaces and, in time, to modify the effect of the wall surfacesupon the glass. It will be obvious that the channel 7 may be ramified tovarious points in the walls of the spout. However, it is an importantfact of our invention that we positively influence the temperature ofthe glass very near the moment when it enters the spout, thereby. givingample opportunity for diffusion of the 1mpressed temperature during thetime the glass travels to the delivery orifice.

It is likewise of considerable importance that the outer lining aroundthe channel blocks 2 is spaced from the furnace wall as at 20. This isan important structural feature, due to the fact that there is atendency for the glass in the furnace to destructively erode and seepthrough the joints between the furnace wall and the channel blocks. Ifthere is no channel such as the channel 7 in the spout structure, and ifthere is no space 20, the viscous glass will seep through the furnacewall in between the wall blocks and the channel blocks, and forinstance, in a structure such as shown, will seep in between thesechannel blocks and the outer lining until it reaches the insulation.This very seepage, in itself, will fill up the natural air spaces andthereby decrease the inherent insulating qualities of the spout. What iseven more important, however, is the fact that the glass when it comesin contact with the insulating material will eat part of this insulatingmaterial away and will form a chemical union with it, with the resultthat its insulating qualities. will be greatly impaired, if notdestroyed. In addition, if there is a channel as shown at 7 thistendency would eventually result in filling up the channel 7 with glassand thus rendering it inoperative. But with the space 20, the outersurfaces of the furnace wall and the joints at the points in questionare chilled by the atmosphere sufficiently to prevent destructiveerosion of the wall blocks and leakage and, even if any slight leakageoccurs, the glass will merely drip down onto the floor, since it cannotreach the channel 7. I

In addition the spout is provided in its walls, with ports 9 that arepreferably oblique and which are so located as to make possible thedirect application of heating or cooling blasts to any area above theupper surface of the glass in the spout. Furthermore, there is provideda port 10 in the top {of a lid 11 of the spout nose, this portpermitting the application of either a heating or cooling blast withinsuch nose and adjacent the delivery orifice. The lid is particularlydesirable because it is removable to give ready access to the glass inthe spout.

Thus, the temperature of the glass and spout walls at every point isunder positive control and this control is so complete that the glassmay be brought to the delivery orifice at any desired uniformconsistency and at any rate of movement within chosen limits. 7

In addition, we have a means for intermittently stopping feed of theglass from the delivery orifice of the spout, which means takes the formof a cup 12 movable into and out of closing relation to the bottom endof the spout orifice. When in position, gas under pressure is fed to thecup and burned therein while the cup is closed with the exception of anextremely small outlet for the products of combustion, so that anintense heat is applied to the clay bushing 3.

From this it will be seen that the glass in the spout is subject tocomplete temperature control, from the moment it enters until it leavesthe spout. In our method, these temperature controls are desirablyutilized to insure a uniform temperature and rate of movement at thedelivery orifice. A large part of the uniformity of temperature and rateof movement is attributable to the insulation upon the spout, for itgreatly enhances surety of control, although the various features ofcontrol are all important.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A" spout for delivering viscous glass from a furnace comprising achannel block, an outer lining for said block, a channel in said liningadjacent the juncture of said an outer lining for said block, a channelin said lining adjacent the juncture of said spout with the furnacewall, said lining being spaced from the furnace wall to provi e a spaceopen to the atmosphere between said lining and said furnace wall, andsaid spout being insulated practically throughout from said space to andincluding, the nose of the spout.

4. A spout for delivering viscous glass ill from a furnace. comprising achannel block, an outer lining for said block, a channel in said liningadjacent the juncture of said spout with the furnace wall, said liningbeing spaced from the furnace wall to provide a space open to theatmosphere between said lining and said furnace wall, said spout beinginsulated practically throughout from said space toa-nd including thenose of the spout, and a valve controlled chimney on the spout.

5. A spout for delivering viscous glass from a furnace, comprising achannel formation, an outer lining for said formation,

. said lining embodying heat insulating material and being spaced fromthe furnace wall to provide a space open to the atmosphere between saidlining and the furnace Wall, said spout being insulated practicallythroughout from said space to and including the nose of the spout.

6. A spout for delivering viscous glass from a furnace, comprising achannel formation, an outer lining for said formation, said liningembodying heat insulating inaterial and being spaced from the furnacewall to provide a space open to the atmos phere between said lining andthe furnace wall, said spout being insulated practically throughout fromsaid space to and including the nose of the spout, and a valvecontrolled chimney on the spout.

7. A spout for delivering viscous glass from a furnace, comprising achannel formation, an outer lining for said channel formation, saidlining embodying heat insulating material and being spaced from thefurnace wall to provide a space open to the atmosphere between saidlining and the furnace wall, and a valve controlled chimney on thespout.

8. A spout for delivering viscous glass from a furnace, comprising atrough with a delivery opening therein, an outer lining for said trough,said lining being spaced from thefurnace wall to provide a space open tothe atmosphere between said lining and the furnace wall, and openingsthrough said lining leading into said trough above the level of theglass therein for the introduction of a temperature modifying medium tothe spout.

In testimony whereof, we hereby aflix our signatures.

OLIVER M. TUCKER. WILLIAM A. REEVES.

